Smallholder seed systems for sustainability

Description

This chapter discusses the role of seed systems particularly as a channel to supply smallholder farmers with new traits and combinations of traits through improved hybrids or varieties. This chapter looks at issues surrounding the development of more economically-sustainable and predominantly “formal” seed systems.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Smallholder challenges that can be mitigated through better access to seed 3 Opportunities and trends in seed production and delivery: emergence of a commercial seed sector 4 Opportunities and trends in seed production and delivery: public investment in plant breeding and ‘handover’ for seed production and dissemination 5 De-risking seed production to safeguard supply 6 Interventions in building more economically sustainable seed systems: community-based seed production (CBSP) 7 Interventions in building more economically sustainable seed systems: early generation seed (EGS) 8 Improving regulation and quality control in the seed sector 9 Conclusions 10 References